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Florida was named by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1513. He called the region "La Florida", roughly translated as Land of the Flowers. He probably chose this name because he was impressed by the many colorful flowers and because he sighted it on Easter, which is called "Pascua Florida" in Spanish. Ponce
de Leon, in search of the elusive fountain of youth, was the
first European to explore Florida. Statehood
for Florida came in 1845 (27th state). St.
Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, is the oldest permanent
European settlement in the continental United States. Florida
is one of the leading tourist states in the United States. Great
stretches of sandy beaches and a warm, sunny climate make Florida
a year-round vacationland. People enjoy swimming, fishing and
water skiing in the inland and coastal waters. Major attractions
include Disney World, Miami Beach, the Everglades National Park
and the Florida Keys. Tourists may also visit historic sites
that date back to the Spanish explorers.
Der spanische Entdecker Juan Ponce de
León nannte die Region des heutigen Florida "La Florida"
(Land der Blumen), da er vermutlich von den vielen farbenfrohen
Blumen beeindruckt war. Ferner erreichte er es zu Ostern, das
spanisch "Pascua Florida" genannt wird. Ponce de Leon,
auf seiner Suche nach dem Jugendbrunnen, war der erste europäische
Erkunder Floridas. 1845 wurde Florida der 27. Bundesstaat. Die
1565 von Spanien gegründete Stadt St. Augustine ist die
älteste europäische Siedlung in den Vereinigten Staaten.
Florida gehört zu den führenden
Urlaubsstaaten der USA. Lange Sandstrände und ein warmes, sonniges
Klima machen Florida zu einem Urlaubsort für das ganze Jahr.
Die Binnengewässer und die Küste laden zum Schwimmen, Angeln
und Wasserskifahren ein. Die größten Besuchermagneten
sind Disney World, Miami Beach, der Everglades Nationalpark
und die Florida Keys. Der Besucher findet außerdem historische
Stätten, die bis in die Zeit der spanischen Entdecker zurückreichen.
GOVERNMENT:
Capital: Tallahassee
Governor: Charlie Crist,
R (Jan. 2007 to Jan. 2011)
Senators: Bill
Nelson, D (to Jan. 2013); Mel
Martinez, R (to Jan. 2011)
House of Representatives:
25 districts |
Search by zip code
STATISTICS:
Population (July 2005): 17,790,000;
National Rank: 4; Percent change since April 2000: 11.3%
Land Area: 54,153 sq mi. (140,256 sq km); National Rank:
22
10 largest cities (2005 est): Jacksonville, 782,623; Miami, 386,417; Tampa, 325,989; St. Petersburg, 249,079; Hialeah, 220,485; Orlando, 213,223; Fort Lauderdale, 167,380; Tallahassee, 158,500; Pembroke Pines, 150,380; Hollywood, 145,629
ECONOMY:
Total Gross State Product 2005 prel. (billions
of current dollars): 674.0
Per Capita Personal Income 2005: $33,219; National Rank:
23
State Exports 2005 (millions of dollars): 33,377; National
Rank: 8
Agriculture: Citrus, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle,
sugarcane, dairy products.
Industry: Tourism, electric equipment, food processing,
printing and publishing, transportation equipment, machinery.
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